Britain’s largest union, Unite praised steelworkers’ resilience as it welcomed today’s (Tuesday 11 July) announcement that Tata Steel had reached a definitive agreement with Liberty House Group over the sale of its 42-inch and 84-inch submerged arc welded (SAW) pipe mills in Hartlepool.

The agreement will see about 140 workers manufacturing pipelines for gas and oil projects around the world transfer to Liberty House, while the 20-inch tube mill, also in Hartlepool and employing 270 people, will remain part of Tata Steel.

The announcement, which ends months of uncertainty for workers, also sees a commitment from Tata Steel to strengthen the 20-inch mill by investing £1 million to increase its capability to make high-strength tubes.

Commenting Unite national officer Tony Brady said: “Today’s announcement is welcome news and ends the months of uncertainty this world class workforce has had to endure.

“Throughout the process workers have shown great resilience and professionalism. It is in no small part thanks to their hard work that Tata has been able to find a reputable buyer and commit to further investment in its 20-inch tube mill.

“Unite looks forward to working with Liberty House to ensure the smooth transfer of the workforce and that the business goes from strength to strength.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Unite head of media and campaigns Alex Flynn on 020 3371 2066 or 07967 665869.

Notes to editors:

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest trade union with over 1.4 million members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.